21st Annual IBA Anti-Corruption Conference

25 Jun - 26 Jun 2025

Session information

Panel eight: MDB sanctions systems in action; shining light on the inner workings of cross-debarment decision-making

Description

Have you ever wondered what factors judges consider when making suspension and debarment decisions? This interactive session brings the multilateral development bank sanctions process to life through an engaging moot court. Officers from the World Bank, IDB, EBRD, and AfDB will form the judicial panel, while IBA Anti-Corruption Committee members will advocate as the investigative office and respondent company representatives. The simulated case will tackle critical issues at the frontier of sanctions practice, including attribution of liability within complex corporate structures, balancing punitive measures with development imperatives, and evaluating the true effectiveness of corporate compliance programs. Audience members will have the opportunity to engage directly with the panel and provide their input into the decision-making process as they navigate the nuanced considerations that shape decisions that end in cross-debarment. This interactive approach provides international legal practitioners with insight into how sanctions systems operate in practice while illuminating the different approaches MDBs take when addressing prohibited practices in development finance. 

Session / Workshop Chair(s)

Jodi Tuer Glasow World Bank Group Sanctions Board, Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Vice Chair, Debarment & Exclusions Subcommittee

Speakers

Daniel R Alonso Vedder Price P.C., New York, New York, USA; Regional Representative North America, Anti-Corruption Committee
Marie-Anne Birken Asian Development Bank, Ballydehob, Ireland
Paul Kearney European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, London, England
Margaret Nettesheim King & Spalding International LLP, London, England
Juan Ronderos Inter-American Development Bank, Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Publications Officer, Anti-Corruption Committee
Jamieson Smith World Bank Group Sanctions Board, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
Justice Smokin Wanjala African Development Bank Group, Nairobi, Kenya